Job Market Monitor
Politics & Policies
There is no evidence that automation leads to joblessness or inequality EPI says
There clearly are serious problems in the labor market that have suppressed job and wage growth for far too long; but these problems have their roots in intentional policy decisions regarding globalization, collective bargaining, labor standards, and unemployment levels, not technology. Job displacements caused by trade with China in the 2000s were four times as … Continue reading
Automation – The future of jobs is not deterministic, but needs to be shaped
Fundamental changes in technologies and production systems and the emergence of new industries are major drivers of growth and development. They have the power to transform the world of work by destroying jobs, generating new ones and transforming the nature of jobs. Hence, ever since the Industrial Revolution, workers, business people, policy makers, and academics … Continue reading
H-1B Visas in US – About two-thirds (64%) of requests were for occupations in STEM
President Donald Trump has ordered a comprehensive review of the H-1B visa program, the primary way that companies in the United States hire high-skilled foreign workers. The multiagency review is expected to result in suggested changes to ensure that the most skilled and highest-paid applicants receive H-1B visas. Though the order may be the first … Continue reading
Education – What’s the next great leap (Podcast)?
The Economist asks: What’s the next great leap for education? Anne McElvoy heads to Utah for the Brookings Institution’s Centre for Universal Education Event. With a host of policymakers and researchers, she investigates how educational institutions will adapt to the rise artificial intelligence, and whether the developing world can leap frog itself to outshine education … Continue reading
Minimum Wage in US – Gradually raising to 15$ by 2024 would directly lift the wages of 22.5 million workers
The federal minimum wage was established in 1938, as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), to help ensure that all work would be fairly rewarded and that regular employment would provide a decent quality of life. In theory, Congress makes periodic amendments to the FLSA to increase the federal minimum wage to ensure … Continue reading
Youth Guarantee in Europe – 14 Million young people have entered since January 2014
Since 2013, the Union and its Member States have engaged in an ambitious strategy to reduce youth unemployment. Following a proposal from the Commission, all Member States adhered to the establishment of a Youth Guarantee, which is a political commitment, in the form of a Council recommendation of April 2013, to give every young person … Continue reading
Talent for ICT in Canada – The immigration stream
The application and adoption of social, mobile, applications, analytics and the cloud (SMAAC) and Internet of Things (IoT) in sectors such as health, manufacturing, natural resources, financial services and government services has created strong demand for highly skilled workers capable of implementing and managing these technologies. However, Canada is experiencing a shortage of skilled ICT … Continue reading
“Australians first” Labor Strategy – Temporary work visa will be replaced by the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS)
Australian PM Malcolm Turnbulll announced his own “Australians first” labor strategy. The government is abolishing its temporary work visa for skilled employees currently held by 95,000 people, or 1% of the workforce. The 457 visa, which like the American H-1B visa was sponsored by employers, will be replaced by the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. … Continue reading
Social Welfare Policies in US – Certain encourage more people to work
Certain social welfare policies, according to an emerging body of research, may actually encourage more people to work and enable them to do so more productively. That is the conclusion of work that aims to understand in granular detail how different government interventions affect people’s behavior. It amounts to a liberal version of “supply-side economics,” … Continue reading
Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) in Canada – An account at age 15 is associated with higher postsecondary enrolment rates by age 19
The registered education savings plan (RESP) investment vehicle is designed to encourage parents of school-age children to save early for their children’s education. This study investigates RESP investments in families, by family income, and subsequent postsecondary enrolment among children in these families. The study finds that among families with children under the age of 18, … Continue reading
Public Employment Service in US – USDOL has neglected strengthening the partnership with Unemployment Insurance research finds
The Employment Service-Unemployment Insurance (ES-UI) partnership is rooted in permanent authorizing statutes, an identical fund source, common rules for state administration, and interdependent practices to guard against improper payments and expose claimants to suitable job openings. This partnership is central to the success of the public workforce system. Over the past several decades, USDOL has … Continue reading
Unemployment Insurance in US – How to improve it
Some researchers and policymakers have reasonably worried that generous UI could discourage serious job search and raise workers’ wage demands unrealistically (an instance of what economists call “moral hazard”), thereby slowing the overall labor market recovery. To be clear, most labor economists do not share the worry that unemployment is increased much by UI. But … Continue reading
Universal Basic Income (UBI) – Three reasons
From Mongolia to Finland to India, we are seeing heightened interest in the idea of a universal basic income (UBI)—an unconditional cash grant given to every citizen, regardless of their employment status or wealth. The idea is controversial, receiving criticism from many quarters including Future Development. To sharpen the debate, it’s useful to distinguish three … Continue reading
Skills Policy at Local Level – Learning Lessons from Abroad for UK
Evidence was drawn from the USA, Canada, Australia, Belgium (Flanders), and Sweden. All have skill systems and models of local governance that reflect their unique historical development. But this does not preclude learning lessons from their experiences that can inform the process local areas in England are embarking upon. Enabling effective local working is dependent … Continue reading
Active Labour Market Policy (ALMP) in Developing Countries – Far less effective than policy makers, program participants, and economists typically expect
Jobs are the number one policy concern of policy makers in many countries. The global financial crisis, rising demographic pressures, high unemployment rates, and concerns over automation all make it seem imperative that policy makers employ increasingly more active labor market policies. This paper critically examines recent evaluations of labor market policies that have provided … Continue reading
